Top Five Scrum Halves

This was a difficult list to put together as there have been so many great scrum halfs over the years.
Who would you pick as the best from these?
Ive also added a 6th option for anyone not mentioned that you think should be in the top 5.

Out of those I had to go for Gareth Edwards, truly a great scrum half.

Joost van der Westhuizen would have been my second choice.

I agree with you on that RD, a great player and a Welsh legend.
He set the standard that i hope the players of today still look up to for inspiration.

Honestly, I don't think Dawson deserves to be there. Sure he was a world cup winner and won a whole lot of other things, including masterchef, but I always felt he was a good player in a great England team.
In his era I think most people will agree Howley and Marshall (of those not on the list)were superior.
Also, maybe there should be room for Sid Going, the only scrum-half that Edwards felt got the best of him at times.

Anyway, Edwards. What a player.

Gareth Edwards for me too : )

Solerina

Quite a tricky one. I went for Edwards, just Wish i could have seen more of him play, not just the highlights. Joost would be my second choice, just infront of Gregan, with Rupert Moon hot on his heels.

Mauro Bergamasco.

Or from that list Gareth Edwards.

Edwards followed by Joost

cant vote for edwards he's welsh.... :run1:

I want to go for Edwards, my in-laws would kill me if they knew I didn't - but I haven't seen him play enough to pick him. If I actually researched it I'm sure he would be my pick, but I have gone for Gregan now.

He always impressed me and struck me as one of those players who could make something happen even if his team wasn't playing well. There were times when the Aussie pack was getting mullered, but somehow Gregan would still come out and have a good game. There are very few scrum halfs who can look good behind a poor pack and imo Gregan was one of them.

I would also agree that there are a number of scrum halfs from Dawson's era who should be ahead of him.

Sorry Terry Holmes Robert Jones and the Great Sid Going better then Farr Jones and Dawson Jeez Dawson only played in the Lions Tests because Howley was injured(and not worth a place on the list

Dave Loveridge should be on the list as the best NZ scrumhalf,

Scrumhalves better than dawson in no particular order and not on list.

Laidlaw
armstrong
Pichot
Howley
R. Jones
Hayden Tanner
Dickie Jeeps
Ken Catchpole
Du Preez (sp.)
Marshall
John Hipwell
Loveridge
Jerome Gallion
Pierre Berbizier

I bet Dawson thinks he's the greatest.

Dawson wasn't even the best in the British Isles during the period he played. Robert Howley was ahead of him in every Lions tour, Dawson only got picked because rob got injured.
Gareth Edwards for me, he was a legend.

Between 1967 and 1978 Edwards won 53 caps for Wales, including 13 as captain. All his caps were won in succession; he never had a dip in form or an injury that would allow anybody else to take his place.

11 Years of International rugby and in all that time never got injured or dropped, and NEVER missed an international...

In 2003, a poll of international rugby players conducted by Rugby World magazine, Edwards was declared the greatest player of all time. In 2007, former England captain Will Carling published his list of the '50 Greatest Rugby players' in The Telegraph, and ranked Edwards the greatest player ever, stating; "He was a supreme athlete with supreme skills, the complete package. He played in the 1970s, but, if he played now, he would still be the best. He was outstanding at running, passing, kicking and reading the game. He sits astride the whole of rugby as the ultimate athlete on the pitch"

Peel. Epitomised Wales's style in the 05 grand slam and contributed fully to tge 08 grand slam. Showed what we were missing even under the current limited game plan I'm a few minutes against France.

Gareth Edwards. End of.

Greatest ever - Edwards for me.

Also loved the way Marshall played!

Glas - I've got a big soft spot for Peel too, when I think of the 05 slam, I think of Peel.

From Danny Care via Twitter:

who I always looked up to... Justin Marshall

I've voted for Edwards, Dr Danie Craven should be on the list though - inventing the dive pass made the 50s Boks incredibly good.

I think there are some big ommissions from the original list - will set up a new set of polls in a few months, to include all the names mentioned and get a definitive list for all positions.

Just had Joe Simpson form London Wasps tweet the following:

G Edwards was before my time, so I'm going to have to say Gregan, with Van Der Westerhausen a close second.

Thanks Joe

A lot of scrum halves posted already,Haydn Tanner is way before my time,But Terry Holme,Rex Willis,Onwyllen Brace,Dickie Jeeps,Johnny Williams,Chris Laidlaw,[his spin pass was copied by Edwards].Dave Loveridge,Graham Bachop,Des Connor[the best i`ve seen]Ken Catch pole,Fourie Du Preez,Justin Marshall,Bryan Kelleher,Kevin Briscoe,Keith Davis,and how can you miss THE MAN Danie Craven.

Justin Marshall
Sid Going
Gareth Edwards
Byron Kelleher
George Greegan
Graeme Bachop
Fourie Du Preez

Augus Pichot man!

Fourie Du Preez
George Gregan
Sid Going
Gareth Edwards and wait for it:
the incomparable Peter Stringer

EggbertEnglishman wrote:Peter Stringer

Justify that. . .NOW!

There are perhaps few players from the amateur era that would translate easily to the modern game and comparisons are always difficult. Edwards is certainly an exception. He was such an athlete with all the skill and rugby brain. Although the likes of Gregan, Van de Westhuizen, Loveridge etc were excellent (not Dawson!) Edwards was without doubt the greatest ever 9 and arguably the greatest ever player.

red_stag wrote:

EggbertEnglishman wrote:Peter Stringer

Justify that. . .NOW!

Just a little levity old bean. Stringer has been a good servant to Ireland and Munster. His performance in the 2006 Heineken Cup was top notch. I'll replace him with the great Dickie Jeeps. I assume you have heard of him?

EggbertEnglishman wrote:

red_stag wrote:

EggbertEnglishman wrote:Peter Stringer

Justify that. . .NOW!

Just a little levity old bean. Stringer has been a good servant to Ireland and Munster. His performance in the 2006 Heineken Cup was top notch. I'll replace him with the great Dickie Jeeps. I assume you have heard of him?

I know he played for England and Lions but don't know that much about his style of play etc.

Ah its nice to see our Peter get a mention I was amazed to see it though

Edwards in amateur era and Gregan in pro era.

There are a lot of potential players in the pro era, however,
I think Dawson is deserving on merit to be in the list even if he is irritating on Question of Sport!
Scored a memorable try for the Lions with a great dummy.

Lets be honest lads in 1994 ALL the major ex-players of the Big 8 nations were asked their opinion on the greatest player to ever grace them game. The census was balanced between the 5 nations and 3 nations teams.
Gareth Edwards won it by a mile.

He also won a similar poll in 2003.

If the best New Zealand, Australian, South African, Irish, Scottish, English, and French players picked Gareth Edwards that should be good enough for the rest of us.

Edwards was first capped at 19 and played for Wales for ELEVEN YEARS,
He NEVER missed a WELSH game to injury in all that time, he played 53 games in succession. Scoring 20 tries in total.

He captained Wales 13 times, the first time at the age of 20.

He played 10 times for the Lions. In the 1971 Lions the ONLY Lions team to win a series in New Zealand, and in the UNDEFEATED 1974 Lions team who smashed South Africa.

Wales built a monument to the great man in the middle of Cardiff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sculpture_of_rugby_union_player_Gareth_Edwards.jpg

Gareth Edwards admitted the best player he ever played against was New Zealand legend Sid Going.

As a Cardiff fan, I remember the buzz before young Gareth Edwards joined the club in 1966. It was the start of a senior career that lasted until 1978.

Edwards took so many games by the scruff of the neck - for Cardiff, Wales and even the Lions - that many of us took it for granted. It was just Gareth doing what everyone expected - tremendous long passes, dynamic running near the line, 50 metre rolling touch-kicks, etc.

I feel a bit sorry for people too young to have seen him play.

Anyone here ever heard of Dimitri Yachvilli or Jean Baptiste-Ellisade???? - ok never won the WC but performed day in day out to top standards and would have walked into most club and international sides.

Yach would get my vote.

Joost. Definitely the most exciting anyway. Then Gregan.

leinsterbaby wrote:Joost. Definitely the most exciting anyway. Then Gregan.

How can either og those be more exciting or better than Gareth Edwards?!

First name on that list should be, Joost Vander Vesthasen.

Second name George Greegan

Third Matt Dawson

Fourth Kieron Bracken

Fifth Gareth Edwards.

Joost

Gregan
Farr Jones

NH

Berbizier (Sp?)
Laidlaw

majesticimperialman wrote:First name on that list should be, Joost Vander Vesthasen.

Second name George Greegan

Third Matt Dawson

Fourth Kieron Bracken

Fifth Gareth Edwards.

I could maybe, just maybe stomach Matt Dawson over Gareth Edwards, but Bracken? You are barking mad.

1 Gareth Edwards - Wales
2 Sid Going - New Zealand
3 Joost Van Der Vesthasen - South Africa
4 Nick Farr-Jones - Australia
5 George Gregan - Australia